DCQCs at dealers should be as dependable as gas pumps

Graffi said:

As for our normal driving our home charging to 80% takes care of our 300 miles per week of driving. We almost never use another charging station any more. However, last Saturday we were driving in the area of the dealer so I dropped the wife off at the grocery store while I went a block down the street to the DCQC at the dealer. I spent 10 minutes there and got about $1.00 of electricity. When I got back to the store she was finished and waiting for me. Otherwise it is not worth the time spent waiting for the charge so even though it is free to us, it is cheaper to pay for it at home.

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Yep. It comes down to time, value, money.

Sometimes, waiting for free juice isn't worth it. I've seen EVs and PHEVs charge at http://www.plugshare.com/?location=7989" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; unattended (L2, NOT CHAdeMO). Fortunately, there are 7 J1772 handles there and they always seem to be working. Sometimes, I see people getting picked up (after charging has started) and dropped off (to pickup their charged cars) . Hopefully their cost in gasoline for their ICEV made it worth it vs. the bump in their power bill (if they'd charged at home instead, presuming they live nearby).

As I was reminded recently (during a sales pitch), time is something we never get back. Sure, some people are willing take much longer to make a trip by utilizing a BEV instead of an ICEV but sometimes, it's simply not worth the wasted time, inconvenience, anxiety and possibly extra cost (if the DC FCing is pricey).

Hmmm, getting back to the non-working QC's, I wonder if a call to Nissan's LEAF hotline would help push dealers to get non-functional QC's repaired? I was told by my local dealer (new QC installed Jan 15) that Nissan actually paid a hefty percent of the device and install costs and the agreement with the dealer is to offer free charging for 3 years. After that, it's all up for grabs. If this arrangement is true for most of the dealer QC sites, Nissan has a stake in whether the device works or not.

Just a thought.

Nissan Consumer Affairs: 855-426-6628
Nissan LEAF: 877-NOGASEV (877-664-2738)